--- title: Trump Bans CNN, Politico and MS NOW From the White House description: Trump said there were no particular stories that prompted the decision. It was not immediately clear if the White House intended to enforce the prohibition. canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/09/18/trump-bans-3-news-organizations-from-white-house/ author: Nik Popli article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-09-18T20:26:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-09-19T17:49:20.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump Announces Ban of CNN, Politico and MS NOW From White House og:description: Trump said there were no particular stories that prompted the decision. It was not immediately clear if the White House intended to enforce the prohibition. og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/09/18/trump-bans-3-news-organizations-from-white-house/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta9f7eee44ac7e656/6aad9a0fef556fd21fc2cfb4/GettyImages-2295309377.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: GettyImages-2295309377.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump Announces Ban of CNN, Politico and MS NOW From White House twitter:description: Trump said there were no particular stories that prompted the decision. It was not immediately clear if the White House intended to enforce the prohibition. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta9f7eee44ac7e656/6aad9a0fef556fd21fc2cfb4/GettyImages-2295309377.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 01:31 video:published: 2026-09-18 section: politics topics: White House press access, press ban, First Amendment, free press, fake news claims, CNN, Politico, MS NOW, court challenge, presidential oath genre: news, press Q&A tones: confrontational, defiant, tense, dismissive emotions: frustration (high), defiance (high), tension (medium), contempt (medium) sentiment: negative audience: news consumers, political observers, journalists, media law followers, general public people: Donald Trump organizations: CNN, Politico, MS NOW, White House content_suitability: politics [00:00-01:31] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Trump Bans CNN, Politico and MS NOW From the White House > Sponsored content. 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President Donald Trump announced on Friday he was banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, setting up a new test of the First Amendment’s protection of a free press as his Administration moves to punish news organizations whose coverage he dislikes._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary A reporter questions President Trump about his stated intention to ban CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House. Trump repeatedly describes the outlets as 'fake news' and says the decision stems from cumulative coverage over the past two years. Reporters press him on the legality of the ban under the First Amendment and on a similar first-administration ban against CNN that did not survive a court challenge. Trump responds that outcomes in court may depend on the judge and that he believes someone has a right to keep outlets away if they publish false stories. ## Key points - A reporter says Trump posted that he intends to ban CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House. (00:00) - Trump says every president takes an oath to uphold the Constitution, including the First Amendment, and claims he does so 'much more so' than the questioner. (00:06) - Trump justifies the ban by saying the outlets are 'fake news' and that he is tired of reading and seeing it. (00:16) - Asked for a particular reason, Trump says there is none specific, only 'cumulative stories over the last two years.' (00:23) - Trump says he does not think anyone should be allowed to come in and write fake stories, which he says is why the outlets have no credibility. (00:42) - A reporter notes a similar first-administration ban against CNN did not survive a court challenge. (00:52) - Trump says he did not have to take the earlier effort far because the reporter involved discredited himself and became less effective. (00:59) - Trump says whether a court allows it 'depends on the judge' and argues courts should not allow fake news to be written day after day. (01:12) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:23] Ban announced and First Amendment oath. A reporter raises the planned ban and Trump cites his oath and calls the outlets fake news. - [00:23 to 00:52] Reasons and legality questioned. Trump says there is no particular reason beyond cumulative coverage and repeats his 'fake news' justification when asked about constitutionality. - [00:52 to 01:31] Earlier CNN ban and court outlook. Reporters cite the failed first-term CNN ban and Trump discusses whether courts should allow such coverage and a right to keep outlets away. ## Key quotes - [00:16] Donald Trump: "Because they're fake news." - [00:27] Donald Trump: "No reason? No. Just because." - [00:30] Donald Trump: "It's it's really just cumulative stories over the last two years." - [01:12] Donald Trump: "I mean, I don't think a court should allow depends on the judge." - [01:24] Donald Trump: "I think that somebody has a right to keep them away if they're going to write false stories all the time." ## Questions this video answers - Why does Trump say he is banning CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House? [00:16] - Does Trump give a particular reason for the ban? [00:23] - How does Trump respond when asked if the ban is legal and constitutional? [00:42] - What happened with the earlier ban on CNN during Trump's first administration? [00:52] - What does Trump say about whether courts should allow the outlets' coverage? [01:12] ## Content suitability - politics [00:00-01:31]: Political controversy over a president's stated plan to bar news outlets from the White House and its First Amendment implications.  by [Nik Popli](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli Staff Writer Updated: Sep 19, 2026 5:49 PM UTCPublished: Sep 18, 2026 8:26 PM UTC President Donald Trump announced on Friday he was banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, setting up a new test of the First Amendment’s protection of a free press as his Administration moves to punish news organizations whose coverage he dislikes.  by [Nik Popli](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli Staff Writer Updated: Sep 19, 2026 5:49 PM UTCPublished: Sep 18, 2026 8:26 PM UTC President Donald Trump announced on Sept. 18 that he was banning _CNN_, _Politico_, and _MS NOW_ from the White House, setting up a new test of the First Amendment’s protection of a free press as his Administration moves to [punish news organizations](https://time.com/7325465/multiple-media-outlets-wont-sign-new-pentagon-press-rules-face-possible-exclusion/) whose coverage he dislikes. In a [post](https://www.trumpstruth.org/statuses/41800) on Truth Social, Trump accused the three outlets of repeatedly publishing “FAKE NEWS” and warned that other news organizations could face similar restrictions. “Effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW... and Politico... from the White House as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” Trump wrote. “Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America.” Taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office later, Trump said there were no particular stories that prompted the decision. “It's really just cumulative stories over the last few years, you get sick of it,” he said. “They purposely write negative news, and they do that because they want to try and diminish the Republicans and a Republican administration.” It was not immediately clear whether the White House would enforce the prohibition, and _CNN_ [reported](https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/18/media/trump-claims-ban-cnn-msnow-politico-white-house) that its team remained at the White House and continued to cover the Administration on the day it was announced. However, the prohibition was enforced the following day, when journalists from all three organizations were denied entry to the White House and had their press credentials confiscated. The affected outlets condemned the action and said they would continue covering the Administration. “_CNN_ stands fully behind our White House team and their fair and accurate reporting,” the network said in a statement. “We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government.” When asked by a reporter what exactly the ban would entail, Trump said, "I don't want them in my office. I don't want them here. I would say the ban would go as far as you can." The White House Press Office did not immediately respond to questions about the ban. Last year, Trump barred reporters from the _Associated Press_ from the Oval Office, Air Force One, and other events with limited space after the news organization declined to update their widely used stylebook to adopt his preferred name, “[Gulf of America,”](https://time.com/article/2026/08/28/the-trouble-with-trump-s-attempt-to-rename-lake-ontario/) for the body of water long known as the Gulf of Mexico. The _Associated Press_ sued, and the case remains ongoing. The uncertainty could set up another legal confrontation over the boundaries of presidential control over access to the White House and the First Amendment’s protection of freedom of the press. The First Amendment protects freedom of the press, a principle intended to allow news organizations to scrutinize those in power without government retaliation for their reporting. Asked about the likelihood of his latest media ban being struck down in court, Trump responded, “I think it's good to point it out whether it survives or doesn't.” He added, “I don't think that a court should allow fake news to be written day after day after day.” The White House has historically maintained regular access for journalists representing a broad range of news organizations, allowing them to question the President, attend briefings, and document the activities of the executive branch. The press corps also serves a practical function in providing independent accounts of presidential movements and events to the public. CNN, in particular, has been part of the traditional five-network television pool that follows the President and provides ongoing coverage of presidential appearances. Trump has tried before to use access to the White House and presidential events as leverage against news organizations whose coverage he disliked. During his first term, he revoked the White House press credentials of Jim Acosta, then a _CNN_ correspondent, after a contentious exchange during a news conference. _CNN_ challenged the decision in court, and the restriction was overturned. The dispute over access has become part of a broader pattern in Trump’s relationship with the news media. Since returning to office, he has pursued legal action against news organizations including _The New York_ _Times_, the _Wall Street Journal_, and the _BBC_ after reports he objected to. The cases against the _Times_ and _Journal_ were subsequently dismissed, while the _BBC_ has sought to have the case dismissed. The Trump Administration has [repeatedly called](https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2025/02/sunday-shows-most-transparent-administration-in-history/) itself the “most transparent Administration in history,” pointing to the President’s frequent gaggles with reporters. —_With reporting by Philip Wang_ ## Transcript [00:00] Earlier today, you posted that you intend to ban CNN, [00:03] Politico and miss now from the white House. [00:06] Yeah. Every president takes [00:08] an oath to uphold the Constitution, [00:10] which includes the First Amendment. [00:12] I do too. How do you justify. [00:13] Much more so than you? [00:16] Because they're fake news. [00:18] You get so tired of reading and seeing fake news. [00:23] During this ban. Now, is there a particular reason? [00:27] No reason? No. Just because. [00:29] No, no. [00:30] It's it's really just cumulative stories [00:33] over the last two years. [00:35] You get sick of it. [00:36] Mr. president, to put a finer point on it, though, [00:39] how is this action legal and [00:40] constitutional considering the First Amendment? [00:42] Well, I'll just answer it again. [00:44] I'll say it the same way. [00:45] I don't think somebody should be allowed to come [00:47] in and write fake stories. [00:49] They're fake news, and [00:50] that's why they have no credibility. [00:52] In the first administration. [00:53] You tried a similar ban against CNN [00:55] and it didn't survive a court challenge. [00:57] What makes you think that this. [00:59] Well we'll see. I mean, it [01:00] didn't we didn't have to take it too far [01:02] because the reporter that you're talking about [01:04] discredited himself. He became a joke. [01:07] So he no longer was very effective. [01:09] So it didn't matter. [01:10] No. But I think it's good. I think it's good to point [01:12] it out whether it survives or doesn't. [01:14] I mean, I don't think a court [01:16] should allow depends on the judge. [01:17] You get to be honest with you. [01:19] I don't think that a court should allow fake news to be [01:21] written day after day after day. [01:24] I think that somebody has a right to [01:27] keep them away if they're going to [01:29] write false stories all the time. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/09/18/trump-bans-3-news-organizations-from-white-house/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/09/18/trump-bans-3-news-organizations-from-white-house/"},"headline":"Trump Bans CNN, Politico and MS NOW From the White House","datePublished":"2026-09-18T20:26:12.000Z","dateModified":"2026-09-19T17:49:20.000Z","description":"Trump said there were no particular stories that prompted the decision.","url":"https://time.com/article/2026/09/18/trump-bans-3-news-organizations-from-white-house/","keywords":["Donald Trump","White House"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta9f7eee44ac7e656/6aad9a0fef556fd21fc2cfb4/GettyImages-2295309377.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nik Popli","jobTitle":"Staff Writer","url":"https://time.com/author/nik-popli/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta9f7eee44ac7e656/6aad9a0fef556fd21fc2cfb4/GettyImages-2295309377.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"GettyImages-2295309377.jpg","caption":"","creditText":"Jim Watson—AFP via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/donald-trump/","name":"Donald Trump"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/09/18/trump-bans-3-news-organizations-from-white-house/","name":"Trump Bans CNN, Politico and MS NOW From the White House"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Trump announces ban of CNN, Politico and MS NOW from White House","description":"President Donald Trump announced on Friday he was banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, setting up a new test of the First Amendment’s protection of a free press as his Administration moves to punish news organizations whose coverage he dislikes.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/BJXao3sd/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2026-09-18T22:28:01.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/BJXao3sd.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/article/2026/09/18/trump-bans-3-news-organizations-from-white-house/","duration":"PT1M31S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/article/2026/09/18/trump-bans-3-news-organizations-from-white-house/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```